Soon I Will Be Invincible is a novel by Austin Grossman, published by Pantheon Books and released on June 5, 2007. The novel uses two alternating first person narratives—the first told from the point of view of Fatale, a female cyborg recruited by the superhero group The New Champions as they investigate the disappearance of a superhero named CoreFire. The other narrative is told from the point of view of Dr. Impossible, a supervillain possessing super-human strength and intellect who suffers from Malign Hypercognition Disorder ("evil genius" syndrome). The plot follows Impossible's thirteenth attempt to take over the world after escaping from prison.
The novel—Grossman's first—was written during his tenure as a video game designer. The book uses characters, settings, and storylines generally associated with comic books and superhero fiction, but is written entirely in prose. The story explores how superheroes cope with their powers and interact with one another. The potential motivations and perspectives of supervillains are also examined. Grossman's book has been variously described as clever, engaging, and fun—but overstuffed with comic book tropes.
Background The novel Soon I Will Be Invincible is the first novel by Austin Grossman, an established video games designer. Grossman had come from a literary family, son of Judith and Allen Grossman and brother of Lev Grossman, which had fostered his ambition to write his own novel. Instead, Grossman accepted a job working in the video game medium which he credited with teaching him to realistically portray creative characters and situations. He always had an interest in the superhero genre, citing Alan Moore and Frank Miller as literary influences. In the mid-1990s, the idea behind what would become his first novel came to him in the form of a supervillain's voice. Grossman spent the next few years casually developing the character that would become Dr. Impossible, adding supporting characters, and writing short stories. By 2006, Penguin's imprint Michael Joseph purchased the publishing rights for the UK, as did Rizzoli for an Italian version. By the time the book was being published, Grossman was 37 years old and had entered the University of California-Berkeley's doctoral program studying English Literature, specializing in Romantic and Victorian literature.
Plot
After CoreFire, the world's greatest superhero, goes missing, the former members of The Champions re-unite to investigate his disappearance, bringing in two new replacement heroines, Lily and Fatale. They immediately suspect CoreFire's nemesis, Dr. Impossible, was involved, even though he has been incarcerated in a maximum security prison since his defeat by Damsel during his twelfth world domination attempt. An interrogation by two novice heroes about CoreFire's disappearance gives Dr. Impossible the chance to escape and initiate a new attempt at world domination. The New Champions search for Impossible, convinced he is responsible for CoreFire's demise, while he gathers the materials needed to advance his plan. This is intercut with flashbacks to earlier times and his origin, as well as reflections on other paths he could have taken in life.
Fatale observes the actions of the New Champions as its newest member. She feels uncomfortable replacing a popular, deceased member and unworthy of belonging to a superhero group, but she proves herself to be highly competent and earns the respect of her teammates. Fatale's closest friend on the team is another new member, Lily, a reformed supervillain and former girlfriend of Dr. Impossible. Fatale contrasts Dr. Impossible's flashbacks by having no memory of her life before the accident in Brazil that made her a cyborg, with her exposition coming from her new experiences with the other superheroes. During the investigation, she discovers that the corporation that transformed her into a cyborg was a front for Dr. Impossible during one of his previous attempts at world domination.
The climax is reached on Dr. Impossible's island, as he attempts to start a controlled Ice Age, making him Earth's ruler and only source of energy. He almost succeeds, using the hammer formerly belonging to the supervillain The Pharaoh to defeat the New Champions. CoreFire suddenly returns but is also unsuccessful against Dr. Impossible. Lily, who had quit the team earlier, eventually returns and defeats Dr. Impossible. Lily reveals that she is actually Erica Lowenstein, Dr. Impossible's childhood crush before his transformation and frequent kidnapee when she was the girlfriend of CoreFire. In the final chapter, Dr. Impossible ponders what it truly means to conquer the world, and whether such a feat can really be achieved, as he prepares for yet another escape from custody to start the cycle all over again with a new plan.
Main characters Dr. Impossible, the supervillain narrator. The novel chronicles his escape from maximum security prison and his thirteenth attempt at world conquest. He is the "smartest man in the world." A lab accident involving 'zeta radiation' gave him superpowers, consisting of super-reflexes, reasonable super-strength, and toughened skin. He was diagnosed with Malign Hypercognition Disorder. He is a pastiche of Lex Luthor and Doctor Doom. Fatale, the superhero narrator. A rookie hero recruited by the New Champions, she is a cyborg, the result of experimental surgery following a near-fatal accident in São Paulo. She eventually discovers that the corporation responsible for creating and maintaining her cybernetic parts was a cover for one of Doctor Impossible's schemes. For a time she worked National Security Agency missions. She is a pastiche of Cyborg and Tomorrow Woman.
The New Champions
Fatale, a superhero recruited by the New Champions and the narrator of the superhero-half of the novel. She is a cyborg, the result of experimental surgery following a near-fatal accident in São Paulo. She eventually discovers that the corporation responsible for creating and maintaining her cybernetic parts was a cover for one of Doctor Impossible's schemes. For a time she worked National Security Agency missions. Damsel, a Wonder Woman-like character. She is the leader of both the original Champions and the New Champions. She is the daughter of a golden age superhero and a princess of an alien planet. She is also Blackwolf's ex-wife. Her powers are flight, super-strength, micro-vision, and a protective forcefield. Blackwolf, co-founder of the Champions and Damsel's ex-husband. A Batman-like character, he is the team's only unpowered member, but he is athletically trained and intellectually gifted. He is motivated by the death of family members and has mild autism. He divides his time between managing his successful corporation and work as a superhero. Feral, a half-human/half-tiger. He is the only member of the team who still patrols and fights street crime. Elphin, the last fairy on Earth. Though born in the 10th century, she continues to have the appearance of a teenager but with insectoid wings. Inhumanly fast and strong, she uses a magical spear as a weapon and has some nature-controlling powers. Mr. Mystic, a magician. He was a stage magician before travelling the world and discovering the secret of true magic. He wears a tuxedo and top hat as his costume. His powers are undefined but include illusion and teleportation. Real name is William Zard. Rainbow Triumph, a teenage girl given experimental treatment for her terminal illness. The treatment saved her life and gave her superpowers, such as super-speed, but she needs to keep taking her medicine every few hours or she will die. Lily, a reformed supervillainess and former girlfriend of Dr. Impossible and CoreFire. She claims to come from the far future, having been sent back to prevent an ecological disaster that would destroy humanity. However, she later is revealed to be Erica Lowenstein, the Lois Lane-like one-time girlfriend of CoreFire. She is super-strong, invulnerable and transparent.
Style and themes The story is divided into 21 chapters, with each chapter switching between the points-of-view of the supervillain Dr. Impossible and the superhero Fatale. The narrative is written in the first person, like a memoir, describing the inner monologues of the two protagonists. The dual narrative foils and "blur[s] the distinction" between the superheroes and the supervillain. The language was described as having a "sincere tone of glory" and "boyish indulgence" with "an undercurrent of sadness and a surprisingly human universality". While the story uses standard comic book story elements, like superheroes fighting supervillains, the book is written entirely in prose. The story combines a satire of superhero archetypes and comic book clichés, such as the use of many superlatives, with realist elements that portray the sometimes mundane lives and everyday challenges of its characters, like coping with cybernetic body parts that weigh far more than a natural body and that react before the brain registers what is happening. Common social situations and psychological issues, like loneliness and trying to connect with a group, are also portrayed. Reviewers identified numerous themes, such as power, greed, fame, ego, loneliness, belonging, and identity.
Characterization of superheroes The novel uses characters with generic superhero traits. While they are public celebrities for being heroes, the novel deals more with the personal lives of superheroes, how they cope with their powers and interact with one another. The character Fatale, being asked to join the New Champions superhero group, is used as a "useful outsider looking in" behind the scenes. They exist in a "cult of overachievement", constantly competing and trying to distinguish themselves from one another, which results in characters as "colorful as playing cards but all from different decks, a jumble of incompatible suits and denominations dealt out for an 'Alice in Wonderland' game." Despite their celebrity status and heroic facade, they exist in a "mundane reality" with a normal routine; as the villain devises new means of committing crimes and conquering the world, the heroes chat among themselves, reliving past adventures, and practice fighting one another. From the perspective of the supervillain Dr. Impossible, superheroes live in "a dumb, hackneyed world".
Characterization of the supervillain